Treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) might take into account comorbidities as an important variable. The aim of this study was to generate a new simplified comorbidity score (SCS) and to determine whether or not it improves the possibility of predicting prognosis of NSCLC patients. A two-step methodology was used.Step 1: An SCS was developed and its prognostic value was compared with classical prognostic determinants in the outcome of 735 previously untreated NSCLC patients.Step 2: the SCS reliability as a prognostic determinant was tested in a different population of 136 prospectively accrued NSCLC patients with a formal comparison between SCS and the classical Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Prognosis was analysed using both univariate and multivariate (Cox model) statistics. The SCS summarised the following variables: tobacco consumption, diabetes mellitus and renal insufficiency (respective weightings 7, 5 and 4), respiratory, neoplastic and cardiovascular comorbidities and alcoholism (weighting ¼ 1 for each item). In step 1, aside from classical variables such as age, stage of the disease and performance status, SCS was a statistically significant prognostic variable in univariate analyses. In the Cox model weight loss, stage grouping, performance status and SCS were independent determinants of a poor outcome. There was a trend towards statistical significance for age (P ¼ 0.08) and leucocytes count (P ¼ 0.06). In Step 2, both SCS and well-known prognostic variables were found as significant determinants in univariate analyses. There was a trend towards a negative prognostic effect for CCI. In multivariate analysis, stage grouping, performance status, histology, leucocytes, lymphocytes, lactate dehydrogenase, CYFRA 21-1 and SCS were independent determinants of a poor prognosis. CCI was removed from the Cox model. In conclusion, the SCS, constructed as an independent prognostic factor in a large NSCLC patient population, is validated in another prospective population and appears more informative than the CCI in predicting NSCLC patient outcome.
In this extended validation population, the SCS is more informative than the CCI in predicting NSCLC patient outcome as the former is also more disease specific. Combination of both SCS comorbidity score and LSCC QoL yields a more accurate information that conventional analysis of PS.
Asthma symptoms are frequent in rhinitics without a prior history of asthma. Several variables were shown to be predictive of asthma in these patients.
The prognostic information given by a high circulating VEGF serum level is not an independent determinant of survival owing to a high relationship with main prognostic variables such as PS, stage of the disease, and nodal status. This finding does not preclude a putative prognostic impact of in situ detection of VEGF and VEGF receptors in tumor specimen.
Background
Infections with human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 account for ~70% of invasive cervical cancers but the degree of protection from naturally acquired anti‐HPV antibodies is uncertain. We examined the risk of HPV infections as defined by HPV DNA detection and cervical abnormalities among women >25 years in the Human Papilloma VIrus Vaccine Immunogenicity ANd Efficacy trial's (VIVIANE, NCT00294047) control arm.
Methods
Serum anti‐HPV‐16/18 antibodies were determined at baseline and every 12 months in baseline DNA‐negative women (N = 2687 for HPV‐16 and 2705 for HPV‐18) by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from blood samples. HPV infections were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) every 6‐months, and cervical abnormalities were confirmed by cytology every 12 months. Data were collected over a 7‐year period. The association between the risk of type‐specific infection and cervical abnormalities and serostatus was assessed using Cox proportional hazard models.
Results
Risk of newly detected HPV‐16‐associated 6‐month persistent infections (PI) (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.56 [95%CI:0.32; 0.99]) and atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC‐US+) (HR = 0.28 [0.12; 0.67]) were significantly lower in baseline seropositive vs baseline seronegative women. HPV‐16‐associated incident infections (HR = 0.81 [0.56; 1.16]) and 12‐month PI (HR = 0.53 [0.24; 1.16]) showed the same trend. A similar trend of lower risk was observed in HPV‐18‐seropositive vs ‐seronegative women (HR = 0.95 [0.59; 1.51] for IIs, HR = 0.43 [0.16; 1.13] for 6‐month PIs, HR = 0.31 [0.07; 1.36] for 12‐month PIs, and HR = 0.61 [0.23; 1.61] for ASC‐US+).
Conclusions
Naturally acquired anti‐HPV‐16 antibodies were associated with a decreased risk of subsequent infection and cervical abnormalities in women >25 years. This possible protection was lower than that previously reported in 15‐ to 25‐year‐old women.
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